Category Archives: Open Spaces

How Many Birds?

Environment, Open Spaces, Queen's Park Gardens, Rose Garden, Wildlife Area

 

With great thanks to the vast knowledge of Andrew from the RSPB, we had a glorious bird count in the park for their Garden Birdwatch.

Our friends,  the Cheeky Rascals Child Minding Group were also counting in the Wildlife Area, where we began. The children were so energised and interested.

 

 

We were there for 11 mins & saw:
2 Blackbirds
2 Carrion Crows
2 Goldfinch
2 Great tit
4 Blue tits
1 House sparrows
1 Robin
5 Wood pigeons
1 Feral pigeons

 

We moved over to the Rose Garden for a more sustained session for the prescribed one hour, and this is the count submitted to the RSPB.

4 Blackbirds
5 Blue tits
2 Carrion Crows
5 Goldfinch
5 Great tit
15 House sparrows
1 Robin
8 Wood pigeons
8 Feral pigeons
1 Dunnock
1 Coal tit
1 Chaffinch
1 Common Gull
1 Grey Heron (flying overhead)

 

Why not consider becoming a member of the RSPB to support all the great work they do and learn much more?  Andrew came to us from the Central London group who hold a variety of meetings and talks.

 

 

These were our results last year.

Autumn 2018 chores

Community Gardening, Local Community, Open Spaces, Queen's Park Gardens, Triangular Bed

There are so many tasks as we move into Autumn.
Summer has been gloriously long but our trusty team had to button up against the weather during our weekend session.

Over the last couple of weeks we have been repositioning some scrubs, clearing away the deadwood, battling with bindweed and nurturing the colour that remains in the triangular bed.

 

 

 

        

Discovering Our Green City

Environment, Local Community, Open Spaces

Westminster Adult Education Authority have joined forces with our friends the HCGA to introduce Westminster residents to our green city.

Each week, from May to early July, residents will visit various locations around the city and some of those visits will include hands-on, practical gardening.  The visits are free but transport to and from is not so bring your Travelcard.

Donations are always welcome!

Please check the “How to Garden” course here.

For more information, please email bookings@nullhcga.org.uk or call 07 773 334 294

SNOW!

Open Spaces, Queen's Park Gardens, Wildlife Area

We realise the snow can make life difficult for some of our neighbours and testing for the birds but the park does look rather wonderful.

Please check on your neighbours to make sure they are warm and safe, and have enough food.

If all is well, take a look at these lovely photographs which Ray took earlier today.

[AFG_gallery id=’57’]

 

Nomadic Community Garden

Allotments, Community Gardening, Environment, Local Community, Open Spaces

There’s a new community garden project just south of the railway tracks in Claremont Road, behind the station, where the printers used to be.

Nomadic Community Gardens (NCG) is a not-for-profit social enterprise, that temporarily transforms previously empty land awaiting development, into an urban oasis open for use by the public, where people can grow their own produce, create art, share skills and discover what it means to build their own community.

Activities you can expect from this site are allotments, fruit harvesting, DIY workshops, beekeeping, street art and sculptures, respite area, butterfly homes and anything else you want to see!
They need artists, gardening and maintenance volunteers, pop-ups, entertainers and anyone who has a skill set they can share (the list goes on!).
This space is an opportunity for residents of the Queen’s Park area to make it their own, look after it and help to build it up into a valued asset for the local community.
Please spread the word!

Please note the opening times at the bottom (closed on Mondays).

Opening times will vary but generally follow sunlight hours. The gardens will be closed on Mondays.

Summer

Monday: closed
 Tuesday: 9-7
Wednesday: 9-7
 Thursday: 9-7
  Friday: 9-7
 Saturday: 9-7
  Sunday: 9-7

Winter

Monday: Closed
 Tuesday: 9-4
Wednesday: 9-4
 Thursday: 9-4
  Friday: 9-4
 Saturday: 9-4
  Sunday: 9-4

Sunny Saturday

Community Gardening, Environment, Local Community, Open Spaces, Queen's Park Gardens, Time Credits

0X rose gardenWe could not have asked for better weather on Saturday. Our main work was in the triangular bed where the weeds seem to grow the fastest but we had a fantastic turnout of willing hands to help.

We are always looking for new volunteers and we’re happy if you can only spare an hour.  If you do more than that, we’ll make sure you have a break with some chocolate and water, to revive your energy levels.

We will be gardening next on 10th June but sign up for our newsletter in case we schedule any more sessions in between.

Gardeners
Triangle

The park is looking spectacular this Spring and we hope you had a chance to enjoy it over the weekend.
park
The tulips are still blooming around the shrub by the Third Avenue gate.

round shrub

Even though the crocus blooms have faded, we think the heart shape still looks very cheerful on the bank.

Crocus
[AFG_gallery id=’55’]

[AFG_gallery id=’56’]